Accessibility at Bristol Myers Squibb
BACKGROUND
Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. Their focus on these unmet needs comes during a remarkable time, when unprecedented scientific breakthroughs are advancing the treatment of disease as never before in human history.
CHALLENGE
Create brand materials, guidelines, and supporting resources that are accessible for all BMS clients. All collateral should adhere to the most current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
SOLUTION
Created an accessibility annotation guide for Designers. Also created accessibility checklists for Designers, Content Writers, and Developers to be shared both internally and externally.
RESULTS
Helped educate internal and external designers on how to create accessible digital experiences that adhere to the brand guidelines as well as the WCAG guidelines.
DESIGN ANNOTATIONS
REDUCE ASSUMPTIONS IN DEVELOPMENT
Developers don’t have to guess how elements behave or respond — which avoids rework or missed features.
SUPPORT INCLUSIVE DESIGN THINKING
Annotating accessible patterns keeps inclusive thinking at the forefront, not as an afterthought.
KEYBOARD FOCUS ORDER
SUPPORTS USERS WITH MOBILITY OR VISION IMPAIRMENTS
Many users rely on a keyboard (or assistive devices like switch controls or screen readers) to move through a site. If the focus order isn’t logical, they can get lost or stuck.
IMPROVES SCREEN READER EXPERIENCE
Screen readers follow focus order. If it’s disorganized, it breaks the user's mental model of the page.
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